Roller skate



Unite My invention has to de with the provision of an improved roller skate which is easier and safer to use, particularly in that turns may be accornplished with all four wheels remaim'ng in contact With the surface being skated upon.

It is an important object of my invention, therefore, t arrange the operating parts of my skate so that a skater may accomplish a turn by shifting bis weight so as to cause the shoe plate to tilt or tend 110 tilt while maintaining the wheels upon the skating surfaee.

Another object of my invention is to eliminate the hazards which accompany the use of those skates wherein a turn produces careening and the like.

Another object of my invention is to provide an arrangement wherein a special brake construction may be applied to the rear set of wheels to prevent ones feet from being suddenly rnovecl out from under hirn.

A further object of my invention is to provide improved turning meehanisrn employing the advantages of what I tenn a fifth wheel construction.

Another object of this invention is to provide a resilient cushion within the truck mernbers which because of its construction has an unusually long life.

Other objects and advantages of my invention Will become apparent during the course of the following description and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which drawings like numerals are employed to designate like parts and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a skate embodying the features 0f my invention showing a pair of identical trucks each mounting two of the four wheels employed per skate,

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the left band er forward truck of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the resilient cushion member employed, and

Figure 6 is a perspeetive view of the lower half of the fifth wheel arrangement utilized in this invention.

Referring now to the drawings, especially Figure 1, it will be observed that each skate of a pair cornprises a shoe plate 10 t0 which a pair of trucks 11 and 12 is fixed. Since the trucks 11 and 12 are identical I shall describe only one of them; it so happens that the instant description will refer to the front or forward truck 11. Bach of the trucks coxnprises an upper member 13, a lower member 14, a king pin 15, fifth wheel meehanism 16 and 17, a cushion 18 and a lower nut 19. Tl1e king pin atent O seated against turning within the lower member 14. T he central opening 24 provided in the member 17 permits the king pin to pass therethrough without contact. N01 mally, when the skate is not in use, the fifth wheel half 16 is fixed to the king pin 15 so that there is a small space between the wheel halves 16 and 17. This allows a cushioning effect When the skater is on the skates.

As perhaps best seen in Figure 1 the upper truck wember 13 is provided With a pair of lugs 25. These lugs 25 are received in notches 26 provided in the cushion 18. The lower truck member 14 is provided with a pair of lugs 27 which are received in notches 28 also provided in the cushion 18. In the preferred embodiment of my invention the notches 26 and 28 are disposed in the member 18 in the manner indicated in Figure 5 so that a line passing through the center of the notches 28 Will be at right angles to a line passing through the Center of the notches 26. Also, I prefer that the lugs are of such height that the notches 26 are wholly within the upper half of the cushion member 18 and the notches 28 are wholly within the lower half of the cushion mernber 18. I have found that this construction gives considerable strength to the cushion member 18 and enables it to be used for long periods of tirne.

The nut 19 serves to hold the parts in assembled coudition. Although a certain amount of adjustment may be obtained by the degree to which this nut 19 is tightened, I prefer that the cushion 18 1's not compressed very much by the aetion of this nut.

Generally the cushion 18 provides a resilient rela tionship between the members 13 and 14 so that in use the upper fifth wheel half 16 will bear against the lower member 17 during a time in which the cushion 18 lends a resilient eflect to the assembled parts. Shoulcl an undue shock be incurred, such as might happen when the skater jumps er the like, it is contemplated that the members 13 and 14 will ahnt each other at 13a and 14a to take up this shock rather than have it transferred wholly through the cushion 18 and the fifth wheel mechanism 16 and 17.

I have also found 1't very desirable to position the king pin 15 in the manner illustrated, namely, wherein each 0f these pins slants downwardly from the end of the skate towards the center portion thereof. This is the reverse of the normal arrangement of such king pin. I find that this particular arrangement provides a skate having better turning qualities than has heretofore been possible.

In addition, the arrangement of the king pin 15 in the manner just described, makes possible the rovision of an added safety brake device. This brake device comprises a resilient member 29 which may be fastened to the lower truck member 14 as at 30. This safety brake device, although shown in connection with the truek of Figure 3, is to be thought of in partieular as applied to the rear set of Wheels. Neue of the skate structures known to me has a rear wheel truck assembly which could accommodate, er have attached thereto, a safety mexnber such as the brake 29 proposed in my design. This safety brake device, which is attached to the rear or heel end of. the skate, is not to be confused With the so called stop toe attachments which are invariably fastened to the toe end er front of the skate. These stop toe arrangt ments have been provided to improve skating technique by making it easier to perform toe spins and for cushioning the landing when jumps are negoti'ated. These stop toe arrangements are actually hazardous to the uninitiab ed for 1'f one is skating rapidly in a forward direction and should he inadvertently raise the rear wheel rollers off the floor, the freut end of the skate would press the stop toe arrangement against the floor which sudden reu silient pressure wo u1d jerk.the skater andperhaps cause hirn to fall 01T balance and be thrown forward.

With my safety brake device which is applied t the rear of the skate, the danger 0f accidents wherein ones feet are suddenly.kicked out from under-hlm is;greatly reducied. The purpose of this arrangementls .to plevent to a large degree -backward falls. Should askater use bis skates without my safety device and snddenly:and inadvertently raise the front rollers 011 the floo r cansing bis weight to shift to the rea1, he would alrnost be certain to fall backward. A skater in.a .situati0n of this kind, however,.zind 1ising skates equlpped With my invention, would at least be saved from.a jarring fall for as the freut rollers are raised the angle of the skateforces ihe rear brake resilienfrnatter press and dragagainst the floor in the direction in which the skate. is *rolling, .Which actionchecks the speed gradually. Even though the skater were to fall.his .descent would be .gradual Without a sndden violent jar.

It is believed, therefre, that one of the -improvement of my invention resides in so arranging the real-Set of wheels as t0 make possible the provision of vthe .safety brake device 29. All other .skate. structnres known to me have rear Sets Of wheels which are sobuiltas to .make it impossible to add a.device snch asthe.one I.have indicated at 29.

Another of the important featnres of the invention residesin the provision of .the fifth wheel whichl have mentioned. This fifth wheelcorisists .of the tWo halves 16 and 17. The npper half 16 i s fastened in*a stationary manner 10 the king holt by vmeans of the set screw 21 .or bybther sitable means. The lower half. 17.0f the fifth wheel is free wheeling, i. e., the space between the diameter of the king holt and the diameter of the hole in the lower half of fifth wheel 17 permits easy rotation of the member 14 Without its being jamrned by er hung 1 1p 011 the Ring pin. The hexagon shape of the top of lower fifth wheel half 17 is snugly seated within the hexagon shaped cavity in the lower segrnent14 of the truck, thus becoming an integral part of the member 14. T bis causes this lower segment 14 t0 turn with the fifth wheel half 17 as the fifth wheel 16-17 rotates, i. e., as the wheel half 17 movesnnder the influence of the pressure exerted 0n it by the wheel half 16. Space is normally allowed.between these mernbers 16 and 17 to permit vthe extended resilient cushion 18 to give the desired cushioning, elfect when theiskater places bis weight on the skte.

Thefifth wheel members 16 and 17 fit around the kingholt which runs through the truck at an angle Cf approxirnately 40. Th bearing or rotating sur faces therefofe, of thefifthwheel are inan oblique positioh, and when rotating; the slidirgg downwardpressure cu sd hy tipping the skateforces One end of the axlei22 bckwards t0' theright 01' left Ihus causing the skate to turn accordingly.

The primary purpose*of the -reSiIientmember-l8 is to hninediately align the wheels in correct osition-the in- .stant1the wheels 23 are raised ofi the floor 01' the turn is. .completed.

I have found1.that1 inzmy arrangementinvohing the king pin -set at the angle as..indicated and including thefifth wheel:members 16 and.17 turnsmay be.-executed bythe skater shifting bis weight;so.;as to.;cause the.plate 10 to tend to tilt. When this.isdone rather than the wheels 23. at. one sideof.the skate coming*off .the floor the-wheels remain incontact with 1hefi001' while the axle 22 shifts due to thepressure of the memher.l6

4% against the member 17 and the obliquely disposed loca tion of the mating surfaces of these members.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications rnay be practiced in the teachings cf my invention without departing from the scope and spirit thereof. It is also to be understood that while I have shown my invention as embodied in certain structure, I do not intend to be limited to such structure except insofar as it is specifically in the subjoined claims.

Having thus describedmy invention what I claim as new and What 1 desired to protectv by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A rollerskate comprising a shoeplate and a.:pair 0f trucks fastened to said plate, each of said trucks comprising an upper member rigidly secured to said plate, a king pin rigidly fixed in said upper member and slanting downwardly fr0m an end of said plate towards the center of said plate, a first fifth wheel member fixed to said king pin, a lower member, a resilient cushion;between.rsaid npper and lower members, a second, fifth whelwmember in said lower member, said king pin passing .thronghsaid second fifth wheel member and free thereof,;means.on said king pin holding said upper and lower membersrin engagement witl1 said resilient cushion, and anaxle having a pair of rollers fixed in said lower member, said; first and said second fifth wheel mernbers normally -bein gtdisposed out of contact with each Qthe'r, and vsaid upper and said lower members having adjacent .surfaces, .said adjacent surfaceS when said upper and lower=members are held in an engagement withsaid resilient cushion normally being rernoved from one anotheradistance greater than the distance between said first and said.secund fifth wheel members, whereby when. the vskateis-in use the said fifth wheel members will vengage one and/[her before the said adjacent surfaces elf-said, upper 3.1'1d"8211d lower members will engage one another. said ;adjac.ent surfaces contacting one another only when theyskate :is subjected to unusualshock.

2. The skate of claim 1 in whichsaid -npper;member has a pair of lugs received in notchesin said resilient cnshion, and said lower -member also having .aipair 0f .l ugs received in said resilient cushion,1animaginary line .passing through the upper notches being substantially.at right angles .to an imaginary line;passing.lthroughihe lowernotches said upper notches lying whbllywithin the upper half of said resilientcushion, andz. said.dower notches lying wholly within the lower;.half of said resilient cushion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 255,460 ROSS --;.Mar.;28,-= ;1882 337,151 Harris, Jr Mar.;2 ;1886 616,773 Daniels Dec.;-2.7;1898 805,942 Beals ..-"NOY. 23119 05 899,963 Ferguson Sept.;29 1908 2033334 Goosman ....Mar.; 10, 19.36

FOREIGN PATENTS 4,397 Great..Britain June;161876 0f 1875 1,840 Great Britain May;2:187.6 of 1876 4,882 Great Britain --....Aug. 11, 1910 .of 1910 150,258 .Great-Britain Sept. 2l9.20 

